la

dungeon, which was followed by the incident wi

left my room

rents’ bathrooms. I’ve done those things and then swung by the kitchen to take a little food.

window at the disappearing landscape. The misty fog has continued to roll in, its thick fingers moving my

wrapping around me, the energy inside of it pulsating, moving. Breathing. I had to close my eyes for a moment t

on and changes who t

s one purpose,

nd a

now, as a sliver of silver begins to appear in the sky, I know that the full moon is out there. I just can

ided by the same all-encompassing sensation I’d felt every time I’d walked through the Haze. Paired with the full moon, that feeling will be

ot a stretch to think he would be. Most of the people in my kingdom have blue eyes–like my family.

my fa

my br

. He’ll be out there, but he’ll be paired off with his own

nd fall into one another’s arms. I’m not exactly sure what happens during a mating ceremony since my mother would rath

wonde

l get me o

erty, but as his family. Nothing can undo that. We will be bound together. There’s no rejec

some sort of magical powers. I think about Mr. Blake and his birds, and what I somehow di

er of hours, and the thought has a genuine

can’t promise anything. I haven’t had much of an opportunity to shift since I found my wolf at eighteen, a few weeks before my b

’s hard to believe it’ll all be over soon, and

h howls, some echoing out in the distance, others much closer to the castle. The urge to answer in kind bubbles up inside of me. I need to shift

ed to do

n feel the carnal urges within me beginning to take over, clo

, intending to fling it open, already planning to head

but it’s not. Confused, I pull it again. It doesn’t budge. “Is it locked?” I don’t know who I’m askin

trap

, as if I could somehow claw that uncomfortable feeling out of my body. I can’t stop pulling on the

s no a

he castle, and there are no roofs beneath me. Even if I shift, I won’t be able

hem know I’m locked in my room. This has to be some sort of a mistake, after all

my m

and I’ve never heard another voice in my head. I have no idea why that is the case, but it sucks, because n

probably come to

he door and bang on it with my fists. “Hey! Is an

with onl

that’s n

ear my heart thundering, my breat

d see that my distress seems to have alerted a few of the mice that inhabit my room. They’re sort of

ith wide eyes from the corner. Behind him, Zelda peeps out of the hole in

faces somehow seeming concerned–if

ighting tears. “I’ve got to get ou

e floor and they climb up so I can pet them wit

nfused, I lie down on the floor and peer under it. I see them running up the wall next to the door where they disa

er the door carryin

hat they’ve managed to retriev

s a